Chilli Garlic Pasta w/ Curried Breadcrumbs

I am a creature of solitude, and my favorite thing in the world is cooking for myself. Unencumbered by decisions and tastes beyond my own, it is the simple, most organic thing to do. And it is during these perfect moments of blissful solitude, with no one to please but myself, that I make the most rustic, delicious meals.

The only thing that could make said day better, is opening the fridge/pantry and finding just a smattering of ingredients that barely make half a recipe. Yes, that sounds awful, but hear me out, will you? We, humans, are creatures of habit. Day in and day out, we eat the same things. Maybe not the same thing every day, but there’s usually a finite pool of recipes and we almost always fish something out of that pool. Caught in the humdrum of a busy day, it’s just easier to enjoy the mindless comfort that familiarity brings.

But when you end up with a nearly bare pantry, that’s when the magic truly begins. If you don’t cave in and go for an impromptu grocery run, you may just create something new to add to your weekly recipe pool. Except this one, comes with a story and your unique fingerprint.

And that’s how I chanced upon this Chilli Garlic Pasta w/ Curried Breadcrumbs. One perfect day, I found myself staring at a nearly empty pantry, with just the bare essentials: half a box of angel hair pasta. The last tiny spoon of curry powder. One shriveled jalapeno. Half a red onion. Half a lemon. There was a bag of stale bread slices in the freezer. Salt and Oil. The only two things I had an excess of was garlic and my trusty fried red chili flakes.

The ingredients neither made noodles, nor pasta, but maybe they could make a little of both. And that’s what this was. A little of both, made something more by the gorgeously curried breadcrumbs.

I loved the mess of flavors it created that I made it again and then again. The curried breadcrumbs are a life changer. I wish I could top everything, including breakfast with it. The only thing that I could think of that would have (maybe) made this a little better, was a touch of black truffles.

So the next time you find yourself alone, cook yourself something new, something you’ve never tried or tasted before. Break the monotonousness with something exciting, challenge yourself and you might be pleasantly surprised.

And don’t be afraid to be alone sometimes. It’s really not the worst thing in the world to enjoy your own company; undiluted by the influence of others, you may just discover something new about your true self.

Notes:

Curry Powder – As an Indian, while the generic word ‘curry powder’ irks me, in this case, it means use whatever spice blend you use to make your favorite curry. The flavors of chilli and garlic are pretty common to most curries in the world, so any curry powder you use, should blend in seamlessly.

I’ve used Angel hair pasta here, but vermicelli, spaghettini or any other noodle is a perfectly acceptable substitute. The idea behind this recipe is to use literally what little you have at hand without complicating things. But the flavor is better enjoyed with a thinner form of pasta.

The curried breadcrumbs can be made in bulk and stored in a clean, dry, air-tight container for upto a week or longer, until the oil turns rancid.

When you make this delicious Chilli Garlic Pasta w/ Curried Breadcrumbs (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!

For the pasta

Garnishes

fresh Cilantro or Parsley

1/4Lemon, juiced

Instructions

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, with a pasta colander insert, if you have one.

Make the curried breadcrumbs

While the water boils, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a 10" heavy bottomed skillet and add the curry powder. Once it sizzles, add the breadcrumbs and sauté on low until it turns crisp and dark golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Make the 'sauce'

In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and saute the sliced garlic until soft and the edges begin to turn golden brown. Add the chopped onion and jalapeno and sauté until it's cooked but it still has a bite. Stir in the red chilli flakes. Season with salt. Remove from heat. Set aside.

Cook the pasta

Salt the water till it tastes like the sea and put the pasta into the boiling water. Use tongs and carefully push down the pasta as it cooks until fully immersed. Let it cook till done.

Assemble

Drain (but save 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water) and toss in the cooked pasta into the sauteed vegetables and stir well until combined. Add upto 1/4 c pasta cooking water. Adjust salt, to taste. Squeeze in some lemon juice, to taste.

Transfer to your bowl (or eat off the pan, like I would). Sprinkle generously with the curried breadcrumbs. Top with fresh parsley or cilantro and eat immediately.